Israel is reportedly pressuring the United States to use its most powerful non-nuclear weapon—the GBU-57A/B Massive Ordnance Penetrator (MOP)—in a strike against Iran’s heavily fortified Fordow Fuel Enrichment Plant, as tensions mount in the Middle East.
The 30,000-pound bomb, dubbed the "bunker buster," is the only known U.S. weapon potentially capable of breaching Fordow, a facility buried deep within a mountain and central to Iran’s nuclear program. But even experts say the MOP might only be just powerful enough.
“Fordow could be at the edge of the MOP’s capabilities with only one munition,” said Masao Dahlgren of the Center for Strategic and International Studies.
What is the MOP?
The MOP features a robust shell to withstand the shock of deep penetration into reinforced structures and smart fusing technology to ensure detonation at the correct depth.
“You can’t just hit the entrance and expect to destroy the entire complex,” said Dahlgren. “That’s why this bomb exists.”
Can it reach Fordow?
The Fordow site is estimated to be 80–90 metres (260–295 feet) underground. A recent report from the Royal United Services Institute casts doubt on the MOP’s ability to fully penetrate the site with a single strike, suggesting multiple precise impacts may be necessary.
Deployment logistics
Only the B-2 Spirit, a stealth bomber operated from Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri, can carry the MOP. The aircraft can fly up to 6,000 nautical miles without refueling and is designed to evade even advanced air defences.
The U.S. has a limited stockpile of MOPs. Boeing delivered 20 bombs by 2009; experts believe the arsenal includes roughly 30 munitions today.
Military and political stakes
The potential use of the MOP reflects escalating pressure from Israel amid its conflict with Iran, and U.S. President Donald Trump’s deliberations on how deeply the U.S. will get involved militarily. While Israel views Fordow as a critical target, deploying the MOP could mark a dramatic U.S. escalation.
The bomb has never been used in combat. Its first real-world deployment would signal a major turning point in the ongoing conflict and global geopolitics.
“It’s a really complex program,” said Dahlgren. “But it’s the only one of its kind, and if it’s going to be used anywhere—it’s for something like Fordow.”
A senior UN official has called for an immediate ceasefire in Ukraine, warning of the mounting human cost of the war and urging both sides to respect ...
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket successfully launched from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Friday, sending an international crew of four astronau...
Multiple people were shot on Friday afternoon at a business in Anaconda, Montana, prompting a large law enforcement response and an ongoing search for...
One miner has died and five others remain missing after a tunnel collapsed at the El Teniente copper mine in central Chile, officials said on Friday....
Former Colombian President Álvaro Uribe has been sentenced to 12 years of house arrest for witness tampering and bribery, marking the country’s fir...
A senior UN official has called for an immediate ceasefire in Ukraine, warning of the mounting human cost of the war and urging both sides to respect international humanitarian law.
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket successfully launched from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Friday, sending an international crew of four astronauts to the International Space Station (ISS) aboard the Dragon spacecraft as part of NASA’s Crew-11 mission.
Multiple people were shot on Friday afternoon at a business in Anaconda, Montana, prompting a large law enforcement response and an ongoing search for the suspect.
One miner has died and five others remain missing after a tunnel collapsed at the El Teniente copper mine in central Chile, officials said on Friday.
The world’s biggest dance music festival faces an unexpected setback as a fire destroys its main stage, prompting a last-minute response from organisers determined to keep the party alive in Boom, Belgium.
Australian researchers have created a groundbreaking “biological AI” platform that could revolutionise drug discovery by rapidly evolving molecules within mammalian cells.
Australian researchers have pioneered a low-cost and scalable plasma-based method to produce ammonia gas directly from air, offering a green alternative to the traditional fossil fuel-dependent Haber-Bosch process.
A series of earthquakes have struck Guatemala on Tuesday afternoon, leading authorities to advise residents to evacuate from buildings as a precaution against possible aftershocks.
'Superman' continued to dominate the summer box office, pulling in another $57.25 million in its second weekend, as theatres welcome a wave of blockbuster competition following a challenging few years for the film industry.
High-ranking delegations from UN member states, business leaders, and representatives of international financial institutions will gather in Turkmenistan for a UN conference aimed at supporting developing countries whose economies are often “locked out” due to lack of access to the sea.
Uzbekistan has officially approved a new concept aimed at overhauling its system of military professional education, focusing on modernization, integration, and broader career opportunities for service members.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres is set to visit Almaty, Kazakhstan, on 3 August, to meet with Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev.
Julie Stufft, U.S. President Donald Trump’s nominee for Ambassador to Kazakhstan, outlined her priorities during a Senate Foreign Relations Committee confirmation hearing, pledging to support 'America's growing strategic partnership with Kazakhstan.
Kazakhstan ramped up uranium production by 13% in the first half of 2025, according to Kazatomprom, the world’s largest uranium producer, reinforcing its position as a global nuclear fuel supplier despite falling market prices and weak sales.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment